Sat. 1st Dec. Evo-Stik Southern Premier Frome Town 1 Poole Town 1

An inspired debut from new signing, Jordan Rogers, enabled Frome to recover from a 1-0 deficit at half time, and after Kane Simpson had equalised in the 62nd, the whole side was lifted and played some of their best football of the season, but were unable to find the winner.

The match started brightly for Frome, with Kris Miller cutting in from the right in the 3rd minute, allowing new signing from Tiverton, Jordan Rogers, to turn sharply and fire just wide. But two minutes later, Poole took the lead in the simplest of fashion with their first attack of the match as a left wing free kick from Corby Moore was flicked on by Jamie Whisken and Will Spetch had an easy task to finish from close range.

Poole perhaps should have doubled their lead in the 7th as a left wing cross found the head of the unmarked Richard Gillespie, only for him to head over, and with Marvin Brooks heading over in the 16th as he outpaced the Frome defence, it was looking like Poole could build up an unassailable lead by half time.

However, Frome survived and began to mount some attacks of their own, with Rogers generally being the focal point as his movement and energy allowed him to find space. But the solid-looking Poole defence always had the upper hand and Luke Cairney was having little to do in the first half.

In the home goal, James Carey was again showing what a good keeper he is, and saves from Brooks and Jordan Alawode-Williams kept Frome in the game with just the single goal deficit at half time.  Despite Frome carving out one or two half chances in the first half, Poole were well worth their lead at half time.

Danny Greaves made a brave move at half time by taking off Kris Miller and Josh Brace and bringing on Ryan Bath and Billy Fletcher, meaning that Frome were now effectively playing with three players that you would normally think of as being centre forwards. After Poole had squandered another chance in the 47th with another header over the Frome bar, Frome equalised in the 62nd minute, slightly against the run of play.

A left wing move from a throw-in led to Rogers hitting a crisply-struck dipping volley from just outside the box that Cairney could only palm up into the air, and as the ball looped up and fell behind him, Simpson was on hand to convert from close range, to the joy of the home fans.

Frome then survived the inevitable Poole attack from the restart and as they broke back, Cairney only just managed to tip a  20-yard Rogers shot over the bar. It was clear that the goal had completely energised the home side who now started playing with  confidence and belief and a willingness to make runs into space. 

With Frome briefly under pressure in the 73rd, Simpson did very well to pick the ball up in his own half and make a storming run in to the Poole half, which only ended with a crude challenge by Spetch that earned the Poole defender a yellow card. But with the free kick being hit straight into the wall, Poole broke with pace and Alawode-Williams went close with a shot that just flew past the Frome far post.

The match was much more even now, and with Carey saving well from Josh Leslie-Smith, Cairney doing well to save a flick from Ryan Bath after a Billy Fletcher long throw and Carey getting his body behind a Corby Moore free kick, both sides were going for the winner, but it failed to materialise and  the hard-fought draw stopped Frome’s run of four successive league defeats.

Hopefully this match will provide the catalyst for Frome to go on to a good run of form, and this will be tested next Saturday with the visit to Weymouth.

Crowd: 290. Star Man: Jordan Rogers. Entertainment Value:  4/5.